Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab will go to polls on Tuesday for elections to 8 Municipal Corporations, 75 Municipal Councils, and 21 Nagar Panchayats, with counting scheduled for May 29. Political parties wrapped up campaigning on Sunday with massive roadshows and public rallies across the state.
The civic elections in Bathinda, Abohar, Batala, Barnala, Kapurthala, Moga, Pathankot, and Mohali Municipal Corporations have turned into a prestige battle for all major political parties. Notably, elections to the Barnala Municipal Corporation are being held for the first time.
According to the Punjab State Election Commission, a total of 36,72,932 voters are eligible to cast their votes in the elections. This includes over 18 lakh male voters, 17.73 lakh female voters, and 226 voters from other categories.
Initially, 10,809 candidates had filed nominations for the local body elections across Punjab. However, 2,393 candidates later withdrew their nominations, while 79 candidates were elected unopposed. A total of 7,555 candidates are now contesting the polls.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded the highest number of candidates at 1,801, followed by Congress with 1,550 candidates, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with 1,316, Shiromani Akali Dal with 1,251, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 96, while 1,528 independents and 13 other candidates are also in the fray.
These civic polls are being viewed as a semi-final ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, making them politically crucial for all parties.
Voting will be conducted through ballot papers this time. A total of 3,977 polling booths have been set up across the state. Around 36,000 government employees have been deployed for election duty, while 35,500 police personnel and home guards will handle security arrangements. Five staff members will be stationed at each polling booth, and IAS and PCS officers have been deployed across districts to oversee the process.
Punjab Declares Public Holiday on May 26
To ensure smooth polling, the Punjab Government has declared a public holiday on May 26 across the state. All Punjab Government offices, boards, corporations, educational institutions, and other government establishments, including those in Chandigarh, will remain closed.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has also announced a special casual leave for all its officers and employees on polling day.
Poll Results to Act as Performance Report Card
The ruling AAP government, including its MLAs and ministers, put in full effort during campaigning, as the election outcome is expected to be seen as a report card of their performance. At the same time, the BJP’s growing urban influence will also be tested in these elections, as the party has adopted an aggressive campaign strategy.
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal has demanded an extension in polling hours. Senior Akali leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema urged the State Election Commission to extend voting timings from 8 AM–5 PM to 7 AM–6 PM.
